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GENERAL50821
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GENERAL50821
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Last modified
8/24/2016 8:37:21 PM
Creation date
11/23/2007 6:17:11 PM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
DRMS Permit Index
Permit No
C1980007
IBM Index Class Name
General Documents
Doc Date
3/19/2007
Doc Name
Draft EIS Deer Creek Shaft/E-Seam MDWs
From
Forest Service
To
DRMS
Permit Index Doc Type
General Correspondence
Media Type
D
Archive
No
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<br />underground mining operations will encounter <br />quantities of naturally-occurring methane gas <br />that left unmitigated, will create hazardous <br />working conditions in the underground mine. In <br />order to continue operations to recover leased <br />federal coal reserves, the excess methane must <br />be evacuated from the underground workings <br />to reduce the explosion hazard and maintain <br />gas levels at safe operating conditions. The <br />Mine Safety and Health Administration <br />(MSHA) has requirements that underground <br />coal mines maintain methane concentrations <br />that are one percent or less. The method <br />demonstrated to be most effective in evacuating <br />methane gas from the underground workings is <br />to install vertical methane drainage wells <br />(MDW) from the land surface into the mine <br />workings. In some places, MDWs drilled at and <br />angle (i.e. `directionally drilled') are also <br />effective. Therefore, the mine has proposed a <br />project to install MDWs into the E Seam <br />mining operations. <br />Since 2001, the GMUG and the Forest Service <br />Rocky Mountain Regional Office have <br />analyzed and approved several methane <br />drainage projects to continue operations at the <br />West Elk Mine (see section Other Analyses <br />Completed in the Project Area). These project <br />decisions approved about 70 methane drainage <br />well locations and over 20 miles of road <br />construction. Some of these activities have <br />occurred in the West Elk Inventoried Roadless <br />Area (West Elk IRA). Operations and <br />contemporaneous reclamation have been on- <br />going since these approvals were given. <br />Implementation of these previous decisions <br />resulted in field data from the B Seam which <br />may be extrapolated for the E Seam which will <br />assist in this analysis. <br />In addition, as part of beginning to mine the E <br />seam reserves, the mine plan also calls for an <br />additional ventilation shaft and escapeway <br />(called the Deer Creek shaft) to support the <br />mine ventilation system, and provide for <br />underground worker safety. The access for this <br />shaft has been approved under a previous <br />NEPA decision (2006) for geotechnical work <br />and has already been constructed. Actual <br />construction and operation of the shaft are <br />included in the proposed action. <br />This environmental impact statement considers <br />the effects of installing MDWs and a <br />ventilation shaft and escapeway to facilitate <br />continued operations to recover leased federal <br />coal reserves. <br />Purpose of and Need for Action <br />The Forest Service has identified the need to <br />authorize, via its concurrence role in the state <br />coal mine permitting process, Mountain Coal <br />Company (MCC), operator of the West Elk <br />underground coal mine, to constmct, operate, <br />and reclaim up to 137 methane drainage well <br />sites that would support 168 individual MDWs, <br />one ventilation! escapeway facility, and <br />approximately 23.8 miles of associated roads. <br />The operations are needed for the West Elk <br />Mine to comply with Mine Safety and Health <br />Administration (MSHA) requirements for <br />methane gas management to ensure worker <br />safety. The operations would enable safe <br />recovery of leased federal coal reserves in <br />compliance with lease terms and requirements <br />for efficient recovery of federal coal. <br />~ Standard terms of a federal coal lease include the <br />following rights and responsibilities conveyed to the <br />Lessee by the coal lease (G 1362): <br />1) Right to construct such works, buildings plants, <br />structures, equipment and appliances and the right to <br />use such on-lease rights-of--way which may be <br />necessary and convenient in the exercise of the <br />rights and privileges granted (Section 2). <br />2) Lessee shall carry on all operations in accordance <br />with approved method and practices as provided in <br />the operating regulations, having due regard for the <br />prevention of injury to life, health, property and <br />prevention of waste damage or degradation to any <br />]and, air water, cultural, biological, visual, and other <br />resources, including the mineral deposits and <br />formations of mineral deposits not leased, and to <br />other land uses or users (Section 7). <br />3) Lessee shall...maintain asafe working environment <br />in accordance with standard industry practices <br />(Section S). <br />r <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />~~ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />2 Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS ' <br />
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